Former Salesforce AI Leader Clara Shih Joins Meta to Head New Business AI Group

Meta has appointed Clara Shih, former CEO of AI at Salesforce, to lead a newly established Business AI group.

Clara Shih announced the transition in a LinkedIn post on Tuesday, excited about the opportunity to leverage Meta’s global reach and AI capabilities to support businesses worldwide.

“The past four years at Salesforce have been some of the most rewarding in my career,” Shih stated in her post. “The organisation we built, execution speed, and customer impact of the generative AI platform we developed from prototype to generally available product were unmatched. There was only one call I knew I would answer, and it was Meta’s.

“I’m thrilled to share today that I’ve joined Meta to lead a new Business AI group. Our vision for this new product group is to make cutting-edge AI accessible to every business, empowering all to find success and own their future in the AI era.”

Shih highlighted Meta’s influence, citing that over 200 million businesses use Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp monthly to connect with billions of consumers. 

She also noted the importance of Meta’s AI advancements, including the Llama language models, which have surpassed 600 million downloads, and a growing AI user base of more than 500 million monthly actives.

The new Business AI group, under Shih’s leadership, aims to develop tools tailored to the needs of businesses leveraging Meta’s platforms. 

These tools are expected to enhance advertising efficiency and content creation for businesses, aligning with Meta’s strategy of integrating AI into its operations. 

While specific details of the tools remain undisclosed, they are likely to focus on streamlining ad creation and improving engagement on Meta’s apps.

John Hegeman, Meta’s vice president and head of Monetisation, commented on the potential impact of these advancements. “We believe these latest advancements in AI represent a significant opportunity for businesses to drive more efficiencies and significantly improve the experiences they offer their customers. This new product group under Clara’s leadership will help us bring that vision to life,” he said in a statement.

Shih’s career has been rooted in social media, with her founding Hearsay Social, a startup aimed at enhancing personal branding on social networks.

She also authored the bestseller The Facebook Era in 2009, further solidifying her connection to Meta’s platforms. Reflecting on her journey, she described this transition as a “full-circle moment.”

Meta’s decision to form this group aligns with its open-source approach to AI development, as seen with its Llama models. Unlike competitors like OpenAI or Google, Meta does not generate revenue directly from AI subscriptions but instead seeks to enhance its ecosystem of apps.

Shih’s departure is a big change for Salesforce, where Adam Evans has stepped into her role as Executive Vice President and General Manager of AI. 

This leadership change comes at a time when Salesforce is strengthening its focus on AI following investor concerns earlier this year over its perceived delay in capitalising on the AI boom.

With Meta’s broad infrastructure and Shih’s expertise, the new Business AI initiative is established to change how businesses interact with consumers, offering innovative solutions in an increasingly AI-driven world.

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